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October Song (#86 in “a shining moment” series)

I took the photo on a glorious autumn morning almost exactly one year ago – 10.26 am, 29 October 2019, Labahe, Sichuan, China.

In Scotland, more than half a century earlier, Robin Williamson wrote my favourite autumn song.

Allegedly, October Song was the first song he ever wrote, as a teenager.

Robin Williamson was 22 years old when he delivered the “original” recorded version in 1966 – on The Incredible String Band’s eponymous debut.

October Song’s extraordinary, highly poetic quality was widely recognised, almost immediately.

Even a young Bob Dylan was moved to hail it as “quite good”.

(reputedly, it is one of the older Bob’s favourite songs)

Many great and not-great singers have recorded it; click here to access some noted versions.

Still, wonderful as the song is, every version I have ever heard has left me still hankering for a “definitive” rendition.

On November 13 Martin Simpson will issue Home Recordings.

His new album is truthfully titled.

Arguably, it includes the finest recording of October Song, to date:

 

(Martin Simpson’s new disc also includes his take on a “quite good” song that Bob Dylan wrote at age 22, when Martin was 10)

Published in Americas and Eurasia and Africa music nature and travel photographs songs, in English

One Comment

  1. Inkku Inkku

    ❤️
    And it’s amazing he wrote it so young.

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